


i see red when i look at you

by starrydeanoru



Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: Brown Eyed Valerie Gray, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Identity Reveal, Mutual Pining, Nonbinary Sam Manson, Not Phantom Planet Compliant (Danny Phantom), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post D-Stabilized, Post D-Stabilized (Danny Phantom), They/Them Pronouns for Sam Manson
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-09
Updated: 2020-03-09
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:54:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23071276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starrydeanoru/pseuds/starrydeanoru
Summary: Valerie Gray thought she knew it all. Her mission was simple: destroy all ghosts because all ghosts are evil. But then everything becomes five times more complicated and she doesn't know what to do or who she can trust.Danny Fenton did not think this through. He just assumed things would go back to normal, but Valerie has never been predictable. Now he has to decide if he should listen to his heart or listen to his brain.
Relationships: Danny Fenton & Danielle "Dani" Phantom, Danny Fenton & Tucker Foley & Sam Manson, Danny Fenton & Vlad Masters, Danny Fenton/Valerie Gray, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Valerie Gray & Danielle "Dani" Phantom, Valerie Gray & Tucker Foley & Sam Manson, Valerie Gray & Vlad Masters
Comments: 14
Kudos: 41





	i see red when i look at you

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!! Welcome to my first Danny Phantom fanfic. I haven't written and posted fanfic since 8th grade on Wattpad so bear with me. I loved Danny Phantom as a kid and recently rewatched it on Hulu which inspired this. Gray Ghost is extremely underrated and my favorite ship from the show so expect more fics of them from me. I hope you enjoy reading and I'd love if you left any suggestions or comments below :)

After a long night of patrolling or ghost fighting, Valerie enjoys riding in content silence on her hoverboard. Flying makes her feel _alive_. Nothing beats the rush of wind whipping past her as she travels speeds that make her body tingle and fill with adrenaline. Some nights she slowly drifts under the moonlight and stargazes, contemplating her life and the choices she’s made to get where she is.

Tonight is different. Tonight her body feels numb with shock. Tonight her head is spiraling with questions and revelations and guilt. She can still hear Vlad’s condescending voice as he transformed into that bastard ghost that nearly killed-

She sees the sign for Amity Park a second too late and swerves her board blindly to the left. Luckily she manages to steady herself before falling and breaking her ankle.

Okay, first she needs to get home and then she can have her existential crisis.

* * *

Landing quietly in front of her apartment complex, the young hunter retracted her suit by willing it with her mind, an upgrade she doesn’t think she’ll ever get used to or understand. She pulls her keys out of her pocket and checks the time on her watch. _11:47_. Wincing, she silently hopes her dad is already in bed and slowly opens the door.

Damon Gray is reclined in his chair, head lolled back and soft snores escape his lips. The Amity Park newspaper was clutched in his hands. Valerie lets out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding and recedes to her room. Her dad knew that she still hunted ghosts and begrudgingly allowed it to continue as long as she was home by curfew, didn’t allow it to interfere with school, and let him know when she was going out.

When her dad originally found out that she was the Red Huntress, he had been furious that she was lying and putting herself in danger and Valerie vowed to make Phantom pay for exposing her identity. But her dad eventually understood that nothing was going to keep Valerie from hunting ghosts and that she had an idea of what she was doing. Sometimes she wonders if her dad came to this conclusion by himself, or if Mayor Masters had a part to play.

Mayor Masters. Vlad Plasmius. Valerie feels her muscles tense.

 _“And who knew Valerie would be so easy to fool? 'Trapping'_ _me in the closet. For a smart girl, she’s very easily led.”_

Vlad had almost killed that little girl. He knew she was half human and yet he continued to let her melt into that ectoplasmic goop. And it would have been Valerie’s fault. Danielle saved her life and Valerie repaid her by capturing her. She hadn’t cared what Vlad wanted with the girl. All she cared about was getting answers out of Phantom, no matter what it would take. His pained screams bounced off the abandoned warehouse she had used to hold him. Was she really going to tortue him for information if he hadn’t convinced her to let him go? Disgust seeps its claws around her heart. Valerie had never seen Phantom act so… _human_ before today. But as much as she distrusts ghosts, she can’t deny the raw emotion that came off him as he begged to be let go to help his cousin. Or the way he absolutely broke when Danielle melted before their eyes.

Valerie shuddered. Now that was something she was going to see in her nightmares tonight. Danielle’s skin slowly melting as Phantom sobs and tries to save her. Valerie didn’t think Phantom was even capable of emotions (other than being a cocky pain in the ass). But she knows what grief looks like. You can’t fake that.

Her mind was still reeling as she peeled off her clothes and changed into her pajamas. She’s too exhausted to take a shower, even if her body odor is prominent. Questions still nag at her.

Phantom had said that Vlad was right in front of her. Does he know Vlad is Plasmius? He knew about Danielle, so it would make sense. How are half ghosts a thing? Did Danielle and Masters die? What else does Phantom know? And if he was right about this… What else might he be right about?

The last question will not get out of her head, and Valerie had a feeling she won’t be sleeping anytime soon. The corkboard of Phantom clippings on her wall seemed to taunt her. The Phantom she knew wouldn’t care about a little girl. All he cared about was making her life a living hell and convincing the townsfolk that he’s some kind of hero as he captures his own kind. A small voice in the back of her head reminded her that she never knew him to begin with.

A bitter chuckle escaped the hunter's lips and she tiredly rubbed her eyes. If she thinks for much longer she’ll give herself a migraine. Valerie goes to flip her lightswitch off when she noticed her notebook open on her desk. Haphazard notes about ghosts and hunting equipment are sprawled across the pages. She flipped open to a new page and began to write.

_What I Know  
-Vlad Masters is Vlad Plasmius  
-Phantom likely knows this  
-Masters wanted Danielle (dead??)  
-Phantom knew this  
-Danielle and Phantom are cousins  
-Phantom is very protective of her  
-They look very similar  
-Danielle is half ghost  
-Phantom knew this  
-Plasmius and Phantom have a history  
-Called him Daniel which seemed to annoy Phantom _

_What I Don’t Know  
-Why has Masters been playing me  
-To get back at Phantom and Danielle??  
-How Masters and Danielle are half ghost  
-How Phantom figured this out  
-How ghost genetics work  
-How many half ghosts are there? _

A yawn escaped Val’s lips as exhaustion finally settled in. She looks over the list and decides it's good enough for now. Flipping the lightswitch off, the teen finally crawls into bed and attempts to silence the trainwreck that is her brain. As she’s dozing off, she thinks she hears the sound of a message notification from her computer, but sleep overcomes her before she can get up and check.

* * *

_Valerie opens her eyes to see that she’s back in Vlad’s lab. A quick survey of the room shows Danielle strapped to an examination table and Phantom cuffed in the same position as when Valerie had him captive. Danielle is in her human form and she’s beginning to destabilize. Valerie wants to run over and help her, but instead she simply stands there and watches as the girl begins to beg for her life. Her skin is melting and the ectoplasm masks her cries as it begins to enter her mouth and choke the girl. Her bluebelle eyes bore into Valerie. Across the room, Phantom is hysterically screaming at Valerie._

_“LEAVE HER ALONE!!! SHE’S HUMAN, VALERIE!! PLEASE!”_

_Valerie ignores him and watches as the girl completely melts into a pile of ectoplasm. The only sounds left in the lab are Phantoms sobs and broken phrases. “I failed you.” “Dani, I’m so sorry.” “Why wasn’t it me?”_

_She hears footsteps approaching and turns to see Vlad Masters walk in. He sees the remains of Danielle and wolfishly grins at the Huntress._

_“Ah! Well done, Miss Gray. I knew you had it in you. I’ll be sure to give you your reward.” He’s interrupted by Phantom’s outburst._

_“I’ll kill you, Plasimus. You’re dead where you stand, I swear to god, I’ll rip you in HALF!!” Tears and snot cascade down his face. His toxic green eyes burn brighter than normal. He’s glaring daggers at her boss, but Masters merely chuckles as if he’s dealing with a misbehaving child._

_“Oh yes, I almost forgot about you, Daniel. Valerie, be a dear and break him down for me would you? We can’t have that temper and defiance anymore now can we?” Vlad purrs, his malicious grin never leaving his face._

_Valerie grabs an electric gun, the same gun she used the first time she had him, and strides over to the ghost boy. His expression goes from pure rage directed at Vlad, to absolute terror directed at her._

_“V-Val, please don’t do this, no, no, noOAHHHHH-” his protests are cut off by his agonized screams as the Huntress mercilessly jabs the gun into his stomach. His body convulses from the shocks and his screams echo throughout the lab._

* * *

_**BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.** _

Valerie startled awake and a terrified scream dies in her throat until she realizes that she’s in her bed. With shaking hands, she slammed the snooze button on her alarm clock and gulped in air to steady her frantic breathing. It was just a dream. Take deep breaths.

She quickly gets out of bed and runs into the bathroom to splash cold water on her face. The shock from the ice cold water is enough to bring her back to reality. Looking in the mirror, she grumbles at her appearance. Her dark brown eyes look dead and dark circles pool underneath them. Her black curls are extra tousled today, but Valerie doesn’t have the energy to care. All in all, she looks like a sleep deprived teenager. Oh well. It’s not like she hasn’t sported this look many times before after late nights out.

Slipping into her usual outfit, she adjusted her orange headband and walked into her room to grab her book bag by her desk. As she’s going to grab it, she sees a message notification on her desktop.

_DFENTON: hey val, how are you?_

Valerie stops. She reads the message again. Then she pinches herself to make sure she’s not still dreaming. Why the hell had Danny Fenton message her at 12:58 in the morning? Not that they hadn’t messaged late before. Valerie bashfully remembers when they stayed up all night after Axion Labs was attacked by her old suit. But her and Danny haven’t really talked ever since she broke things off. They would occasionally make awkward eye contact at school or the Nasty Burger, but Valerie swore to herself that she’d keep the distance between them to keep him safe. Even though she misses him. A lot. But Danny deserves someone who can actually be there for him. Someone like Sam. UGH! Why does he have to message her now of all times?! Her head was already spinning from the revelation of Plasmius and now she’s being reminded of her feelings for someone she can’t have.

At least her day can’t get much worse.

A frantic knock on her door startled the young girl as her father burst into her room. “Daddy! Can’t you wait until I-”

“Sorry sweetie, but I have great news!” His dark brown eyes were wide with excitement and his voice was borderline euphoric. “We’re finally able to move out of this apartment!”

“What?!” Valerie’s jaw dropped as confusion seeped in.

“It’s all thanks to you, Val. Why didn’t you tell me you enrolled in the Mayor’s cash prize event?” He handed her a check and congratulatory letter. The letter read:

_Congratulations Valerie Gray and family! You have been selected from dozens of indigent Amity Park citizens due to your exceptional essay on why you deserve to win the grand prize of $500,000. Thank you for being an inspiration to us all. I look forward to working with you in the future, Miss Gray._

_Yours truly,_

_Mayor Vlad Masters_

**Author's Note:**

> If you made it this far, thank you so much!! Critiques and comments are much appreciated and I will try my best to update as frequently as I can.


End file.
